Author: Steph Guinan

Coolness Graphed has been charting life and its relative coolness or ‘uncoolness’ for the past two years. RC Jones began the project as a creative outlet to counterbalance a boring day job, and within three months of publishing on tumblr, the project was receiving attention from national media including Forbes and MSN.

Earlier this year, a collection of graphs was published in a book that seems perfect for geeky gifting. In the announcement of his book deal, Jones shares, “Less than a year ago I got an email that I could tell was very important because it contained the phrase “you had us at ‘sporklift.’”…

In 2007, Chris Piascik challenged himself to make a drawing a day, and he hasn’t stopped yet. Amassing a significant body of work, Piascik just completed his 1,500th daily drawing earlier this month. His witty illustrations, well-executed patterns, and often irreverent hand-lettering pieces are bold in both coloring and statement.…

The mechanics of movement are explored in a series of works by Dukno Yoon, a Korean born artist who currently teaches metalsmithing and jewelry at Kansas State University. The body adornment pieces connect the kinetics of hand gestures to flying wings. Profoundly simple, the pieces celebrate the elegance of mechanics. …

“We wanted to tour at a more human pace and perform in small towns,“ says co-founder Gabriel Harrell. He explains that the typical experience of touring with theater companies involves bouncing between major cities. For him, this is “a way to celebrate the rural, and celebrate small-town life and culture.”

At the lumbering speed of 2.5 miles per hour, the Rural Academy Theater is making their second tour through Western North Carolina. The horse-drawn performance troupe loads all of its supplies, instruments and equipment into a wagon-trailer while a few bicyclists ride alongside the caravan to scout roads and rest stops. Part gypsy, part nouveau vagabond, the troop puts on quite the performance, both on stage and off.…

Seattle photographer, Christopher Boffoli, is widely known for his series of work called Big Appetites. Using food as a prop in his photographic storytelling, the images show an affection for the miniature and the playful. The work is significantly more evolved than the airplane spoon of dinner that is “coming in for a landing” in a baby’s mouth, but perhaps both share the concept of bridging food and play. The photos create imaginary worlds and alternate realities. It’s a world where broccoli can becomes a lawn and spaghetti can become a car wash.…

Corn was once a straightforward crop, but the US industry has seen big changes in recent years. Ethanol and GMOs are both relatively new to the scene, and they are both hot-button issues. Since 1980, the use of corn has increased significantly as a result of renewable energy legislation. Not only are we using more corn, but we are using different strains of corn. In 2013, genetically engineered corn accounted for 90% of the planted crop showing a steep increase from just 25% in 2000. A series of graphs were produced by Flapjack Media to detangle the data. The full graphic is available here.…

Starting with her design of a Chicago map hanging on her living room wall, Jenny Beorkrem wondered if other people might also want to hang the poster on their wall. Working a day job as a graphic designer, Beorkrem began Ork Posters with just a few sales on Etsy. She learned to screenprint, produced more posters, and then some blog writers started to take notice. This spike of interest gave her reason to expand her offerings and create more designs. Since its beginning in 2007, Ork Posters now offers 26 maps – with the Bronx just added this past August. Although Ork Posters has scaled up to accommodate the number of orders, they are still printed locally in Chicago. …

Nearly 400 square miles have burned as a result of an August 17th campfire that went awry. After three and a half weeks of battling the blaze, the wildfire is now 80% contained, and costs estimates are totaling $96.2 million. The LA Times reports, “The blaze has destroyed at least 11 homes and 97 outbuildings, according to the Forest Service. More than 3,000 firefighters were battling the blaze.”…

For the past three years, Pop Chart Lab has been producing stellar infographics on a ridiculous range of subjects. Graphics include such topics as beer, kitchen utensils, and superpowers. PCL’s business goal reads, “to render all of human experience in chart form.” Last week, the Brooklyn based company released Volume 3 in their series of infographics about the Beatles, completing a nice little set.…